At the Swag there were 2
Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover. It
was very quiet again on the main lake with a White Wagtail, 2
Common Terns and 6 Swifts the only birds of note (GE).

2nd

A Whimbrel dropped in for a
few minutes at midday, 2 Oystercatchers, a Common Sandpiper and 2
Common Terns and a Cuckoo were also present. 37 Mute Swans were on the 'Duck
Pond/Boating Pool' and a Ringed Plover was at the Swag (GE).

The new culvert in the causeway is said
to have been incorrectly installed, preventing the railway
from being used until adjustments to the level of the track
can be made. The partially drained Swag has now had posts
put in the mud to act as perches for crows and magpies to
deter the Little Ringed Plovers from nesting, presumably so
that any nests don't get inundated when the Swag refills
(GE).

'The Duck Pond', according to LDC's
latest General Information leaflet this is "the heart of the
site. home to all our feathered friends!" (GE)

10 Four-spotted Chasers and a
Large Red Damselfly were at the southern end of Cuckoo Bank
(GE) where there were also male and female Cuckoos, 3 Buzzards
and 2 Kestrels (GR).

On Pelsall North Common there were 2
reeling Grasshopper Warblers, an immature Peregrine
and a Red-eyed Damselfly (GE, KM).

5th

A Red Kite flew over the Sailing Club towards
the north-west at around mid-day and 2 Greenshanks, 2
Dunlin and a White Wagtail were also present (PW, VT,
JT).

The steel piles are being laid out in
preparation for installation one year later than originally
planned. The extremely dry spring and the very low
water-table has led to the sphagnum lawn being tinder dry
with no sign of any Sundew. The Bogbean, lower in the marsh,
is still surviving but is only in its early growth (GE).

A Grey Plover flew through at
14:00 (BG), 5 Ringed Plovers were present and 2 Little Ringed
Plovers were at the Swag (GE).

8th

Sun

A Hobby drifted over the
Sailing Club and Church Street Open Space and a Common Tern and
Wheatear were also noted (GE).

9th

4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin
and 3 Common Terns were noted (PW, GE).

10th

On Target Point a Pied Flycatcher
was heard to sing three times before appearing to fly towards the
north shore. Also present were 2 Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, 3
Oystercatchers, 2 Common
Terns, a Cormorant and 2 Buzzards (GE, GR).

A Temminck's Stint was the
first Chasewater record for 31 years. Anyone wishing to see this
bird must take great care not to disturb breeding Little Ringed
Plovers, Ringed Plovers and Lapwings. Also present were 2 Common
Terns, a Dunlin, a Wheatear and a Peregrine (PW, GE, CM, BS,
PJ et al).

On Cuckoo Bank there were
2 Ravens and 2 nesting Skylarks (GR).

12th

There was no sign of the stint but 5
Ringed Plovers and an Oystercatcher were present (PW, GE, GR).

13th

Up to 19 Little Ringed Plovers were
present and 3 pairs were with newly hatched broods of 2, 3 and 4
chicks with the latter brood containing a probable albino. The
Ringed Plover is still on the nest and I've had a heart-warming
response from dog walkers when I told them about the plovers but LDC
still hasn't put up any new information signs. A Dunlin,
Oystercatcher, 2 Common Terns, 20 House Martins and 10 Sand Martins
were also seen and in the west shore wood there was a Willow Tit
calling and a newly fledged brood of Long-tailed Tits. Several Green
Hairstreaks were in Anglesey Basin and 2 Red-eyed Damselflies were
on the canal (GE).

On Cuckoo
Bank there were 4 Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Yellowhammer and
several Meadow Pipits (GR).

14th

Sat

Two Oystercatchers were present (GE).

15th

Sun

The greatest surprise today were 2
Red-legged Partridges that were flushed from the west shore and
took cover on the lake bed (CM); this is the first record for 8
years. 9 Ringed Plovers, 3 Dunlin, a Common Tern and Cormorant were
also present and a Cuckoo was calling near the Slurry Pool. The
Ringed Plover is still sitting on the nest and I had several
positive chats to people who, once they knew the plovers were there,
happily walked by at a safe distance. There are still no information
signs (GE). The Monthly WeBS count included 55 Mute Swans, 24 Canada
geese, 3 late Wigeon, 59 Mallard, 8 Tufted Ducks, 6 Great
Crested Grebes, 3 Herons, 56 Coot, 4+ Little Ringed Plovers and 4
Lapwings (NS).

16th

No records.

17th

The CWG outdoor meeting produced good
views of a pair of Cuckoos on the North Shore along with reeling
Grasshopper Warbler, Meadow Pipits feeding young and singing Reed
Warblers around the Slurry Pool. It was rather worrying to find that
many plants, including Cowberry and Bilberry were either suffering
from lack of water or may be diseased but the Round-leaved
Wintergreens and a patch of Adder's-tongue fern appear to be faring
reasonably well (GE, NS).

18th

A Dunlin, 11 Ringed Plovers,
a Common Tern, 17 Lesser Black-backs, 6 Black-headed Gulls and a Cuckoo were present. The breeding Ringed Plovers
have now left the nest, leaving a single fragment of eggshell; it is
not known if the nest was predated or young have been escorted to a
safer refuge but as incubation is usually 24 days and the pair was
only known to be sitting for 12 days, predation is the more likely.
Up to 18 Little Ringed Plovers were present but they also appear to
be victims of inevitable disturbance/predation. The brood of 4 are
now down to 2 (the albino is no longer with us) and one of the
disturbed South Shore pairs has re-laid in a new territory just down
from the castle. So far I've found one sign informing the public
about the plovers but its towards the end of the pier and you have
to walk across a deserted territory in order to read it (GE).

On Cuckoo Bank there were 2 singing
Reed Warblers, 2 pairs of Little Grebes, a Raven, Cuckoo, Buzzard
and a Willow Tit at Biddulph's Pool (GR).

A Grey Partridge was seen
picking up grit along Meerash Lane, Hammerwich (NS).

19th

6 Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin,
Oystercatcher, 7 Lesser Black-backs, 2 Black-headed Gulls and a
Common Tern were present. Another brood of 4 Little Ringed Plover
chicks was in the middle of the lake-bed, birds were on the nest on
the Balcony and south shores where two other pairs were setting up
new territories after having failed with their first broods. LDC,
which is still in control of the Country Park till 2014, welcomes as
much information as possible regarding the Little Ringed Plovers so
that they can protect them from disturbance. Several
information/warning signs have been put up along the south shore
today (GE).

On Cuckoo Bank there were
3 Buzzards, a Snipe, a Grasshopper Warbler and one of the
pairs of Little Grebes has a chick (GR).

20th

A brood of three Little Ringed Plover
chicks was in front of the Sailing Club. 4 Ringed Plovers,
3 Dunlin, a Common Tern (PW) and Cuckoo (EO) were also
present.

On Cuckoo Bank a Cuckoo was calling,
a Snipe was present and an interesting find was a Wall Brown
butterfly. 3 Four-spotted Chasers were also seen (EO).

21st

Sat

3 Oystercatchers, 4 Ringed Plovers
and 3 Dunlin were present (PW).

22nd

Sun

The Little Ringed Plover brood in
front of the Sailing Club could be heard calling from the cover of
the reedmace on the edge of Fly Bay and another pair was on
territory close by, along with a pair of Lapwings. There are no
warning/information signs about the Little Ringed Plovers along any
shores other than the South Shore and Swag (GE).

23rd

A Little Ringed Plover was still
sitting on the nest near the castle (GE).

24th

26 Ringed Plovers, 5 Dunlin,
an Oystercatcher, 3 Common Terns and a Cuckoo were present (PW, JT,
VT, GE). . Two broods (4 and 1+) of Little Ringed Plovers were in
front of the Sailing Club and the small gull roost held 25 Lesser
Black-backs (including a possible intermedius), 10
Black-headed Gulls and a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull (GE, PW).

A new Sanderling was present
along with 8 Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, 3
Oystercatchers, Cormorant,
Gadwall, 2 Common Terns and a Cuckoo. There are at least 14 pairs of Little Ringed
Plovers, 8 of which have hatched at least 24 chicks with 15+ still
surviving. Three pairs are still on the nest and another three pairs
have active territories including one where the pair were mating
this evening (GE, PW).

31st

Another new Sanderling was
present along with 3 Ringed Plovers, an Oystercatcher and
Common Tern. At the Swag there were 5 Little Ringed Plovers, one
Ringed Plover, a Lapwing and 9 Tufted Ducks (GE, PW).